The boundaroo evolved from the modern kangaroo. With the exception of its larger ears, longer arms, slightly smaller torso and no pouch it resembles the modern kangaroo. Most of the differences are internal. The boundaroo can live up to 18 years in the wild.
Taxonomy:
Kingdom
Anamalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Mammalia
Species
Boundaroo
Habitat
Australian grassland
The Boundaroo is indigenous to Australia. It has been recorded to have been found throughout the continent, but is mainly located in the Eastern and Southern states including Tasmania (See Figure 1).
The boundaroo inhabits grasslands, woodlands and forests. They are found to be living near water sources and vegetation. Boundaroos tend to stay in one particular area in their life time, however if their home environment is destroyed they will travel to find shelter elsewhere.
The harshest environment they are found to live in is parts of Eastern Australia where it gets very dry and hot in the Summer.
Figure 1: Common Habitat for the Boundaroo (Green) Filled by Samantha Banfield
Adaptations
Drawn & Labelled by Samantha Banfield
Behavioural Adaptation 1:
Mating Habits
Boundaroos only mate 3 times in their life. This means that each female boundaroo gives birth to a maximum of 3 offspring in her lifetime. This makes traveling safer for the mob as it is smaller. The smaller mob does make the boundaroos vulnerable to predators as the predators may see the small size of the group an easy attack, however the escape of the whole mob is more likely as their are fewer young ones for the adult boundaroos to protect. This also helps to control the boundaroo population and ensure that overpopulation is not an issue. Environmental pressure that could have given rise to this adaptation is the fact that kangaroos were becoming overpopulated, and there was not going to be enough land for them if their numbers continued to grow the way they were.
Behavioural Adaptation 2:
Diet
Unlike the herbivorous modern kangaroo, boundaroos are omnivores. Due to their loss of habitat over time, the kangaroo had to change what they ate in order to survive. After their change in behaviour, over the next decade kangaroos were born with slight changes to their mouth. Kangaroos now had a set of canines, and other front teeth were sharper in order for them to be able to tear flesh off their prey. Boundaroos prey on small animals such as bilby's, rats, and small possums. Changing their diet from only vegetation to both vegetation and meat, has helped the boundaroo remain alive and well. The boundaroo still eats grass and other vegetation, but in the case of a situation where vegetation is not available, or where there is not enough to go around the entire mob, the boundaroo can survive by eating small animals. With deforestation, and several other species sharing their habitat living off vegetation, there isn't always enough to go around. This led to the boundaroos becoming omnivores.
Structural Adaptation 1:
The ability to reach above head
Like their ancient ancestors the sthenurine kangaroos, boundaroos have regained the ability to reach above their head and grab leaves off of stems to eat. With the destruction of their habitat, the grass that the modern kangaroo lived off is deteriorating. Their longer arms give the boundaroo the choice to eat more different types of food that the modern kangaroo just couldn't reach. Their longer arms also give them an edge when fighting off predators or catching prey. This adaptation came about due to destruction of food sources within reach.
Structural Adaptation 2:
Larger ears
Kangaroos are the only animals that change between panting and sweating as a means of cooling down. When they are hopping they pant to lose heat, whereas when they are just standing around or grazing they sweat. With larger ears the boundaroo will lose heat more easily as more sweat glands will present. This means that they will not have to work as hard at panting, as the sweat glands in their ears will help them lose more heat. This adaptation helps the boundaroo lose heat more efficiently, and rose due to climate change and increase in temperature in the animal's habitat.
Physiological Adaptation 1:
Developed young
Unlike it's marsupial ancestor, instead of housing the embryo in the pouch while it develops like the modern kangaroo, boundaroos give birth to developed live young. This enables the newborns and mothers more of a chance of survival when running from predators. The young boundaroo is able to fend for itself, which allows the mother a greater chance of getting away as they are not housing the extra weight of the joey. This also means that the female boundaroos no longer have need for a pouch. Over time this physiological change took place so the young could be born having already developed in the mother's womb instead of developing in the kangaroos pouch, to let the offspring be independent at an earlier stage.
Environmental Pressures That Led to Their Evolution:
Overpopulation of their kind
The modern female kangaroo is almost constantly pregnant. Because the only predators the modern kangaroo has are dingos and humans, they're numbers were increasing rapidly.
Climate change
Due to climate change, the modern kangaroo had to adapt and evolve to be able to withstand harsher conditions.
The Boundaroo
Celeriter Placentae
The boundaroo evolved from the modern kangaroo. With the exception of its larger ears, longer arms, slightly smaller torso and no pouch it resembles the modern kangaroo. Most of the differences are internal. The boundaroo can live up to 18 years in the wild.
Taxonomy:
Habitat
The Boundaroo is indigenous to Australia. It has been recorded to have been found throughout the continent, but is mainly located in the Eastern and Southern states including Tasmania (See Figure 1).
The boundaroo inhabits grasslands, woodlands and forests. They are found to be living near water sources and vegetation. Boundaroos tend to stay in one particular area in their life time, however if their home environment is destroyed they will travel to find shelter elsewhere.
The harshest environment they are found to live in is parts of Eastern Australia where it gets very dry and hot in the Summer.
Adaptations
Behavioural Adaptation 1:
Mating Habits
Boundaroos only mate 3 times in their life. This means that each female boundaroo gives birth to a maximum of 3 offspring in her lifetime. This makes traveling safer for the mob as it is smaller. The smaller mob does make the boundaroos vulnerable to predators as the predators may see the small size of the group an easy attack, however the escape of the whole mob is more likely as their are fewer young ones for the adult boundaroos to protect. This also helps to control the boundaroo population and ensure that overpopulation is not an issue. Environmental pressure that could have given rise to this adaptation is the fact that kangaroos were becoming overpopulated, and there was not going to be enough land for them if their numbers continued to grow the way they were.
Behavioural Adaptation 2:
Diet
Unlike the herbivorous modern kangaroo, boundaroos are omnivores. Due to their loss of habitat over time, the kangaroo had to change what they ate in order to survive. After their change in behaviour, over the next decade kangaroos were born with slight changes to their mouth. Kangaroos now had a set of canines, and other front teeth were sharper in order for them to be able to tear flesh off their prey. Boundaroos prey on small animals such as bilby's, rats, and small possums. Changing their diet from only vegetation to both vegetation and meat, has helped the boundaroo remain alive and well. The boundaroo still eats grass and other vegetation, but in the case of a situation where vegetation is not available, or where there is not enough to go around the entire mob, the boundaroo can survive by eating small animals. With deforestation, and several other species sharing their habitat living off vegetation, there isn't always enough to go around. This led to the boundaroos becoming omnivores.
Structural Adaptation 1:
The ability to reach above head
Like their ancient ancestors the sthenurine kangaroos, boundaroos have regained the ability to reach above their head and grab leaves off of stems to eat. With the destruction of their habitat, the grass that the modern kangaroo lived off is deteriorating. Their longer arms give the boundaroo the choice to eat more different types of food that the modern kangaroo just couldn't reach. Their longer arms also give them an edge when fighting off predators or catching prey. This adaptation came about due to destruction of food sources within reach.
Structural Adaptation 2:
Larger ears
Kangaroos are the only animals that change between panting and sweating as a means of cooling down. When they are hopping they pant to lose heat, whereas when they are just standing around or grazing they sweat. With larger ears the boundaroo will lose heat more easily as more sweat glands will present. This means that they will not have to work as hard at panting, as the sweat glands in their ears will help them lose more heat. This adaptation helps the boundaroo lose heat more efficiently, and rose due to climate change and increase in temperature in the animal's habitat.
Physiological Adaptation 1:
Developed young
Unlike it's marsupial ancestor, instead of housing the embryo in the pouch while it develops like the modern kangaroo, boundaroos give birth to developed live young. This enables the newborns and mothers more of a chance of survival when running from predators. The young boundaroo is able to fend for itself, which allows the mother a greater chance of getting away as they are not housing the extra weight of the joey. This also means that the female boundaroos no longer have need for a pouch. Over time this physiological change took place so the young could be born having already developed in the mother's womb instead of developing in the kangaroos pouch, to let the offspring be independent at an earlier stage.
Environmental Pressures That Led to Their Evolution:
- Overpopulation of their kind
The modern female kangaroo is almost constantly pregnant. Because the only predators the modern kangaroo has are dingos and humans, they're numbers were increasing rapidly.Due to climate change, the modern kangaroo had to adapt and evolve to be able to withstand harsher conditions.
Resources:
Information
Latin dictionary. no date. Retrieved July 27, 2010, from http://www.math.ubc.ca/~cass/frivs/latin/latin-dict-full.html
Images
Australian grassland -
Sher, J. & Litrownik, M. (1997). Grasslands. Retrieved July 28, 2010, from http://www2.needham.k12.ma.us/nhs/cur/Bio96_97/P3/Grasslands/grassland.html
Figure 1: Common Habitat for the Boundaroo (Green) Filled by Samantha Banfield -
Look 4. (2010). Blank Outline Map of Australia. Retrieved July 28, 2010, from http://schools.look4.net.nz/geography/country_information/outline_maps/australia